Lee Kang-in rejects contract renewal with Valencia

Lee Kang-in of Valencia FC, has asked for a move again. The Superdeporte, a local media of Valencia, reported Monday that Lee has recently turned down the offer for renewal of contract with Valencia and wants to move to a new team.

The 19-year-old South Korean midfielder has attracted the interest from a number of European football clubs after winning the golden ball for his major role in helping Valencia win the second place in the 2019 U-20 World Cup in Poland last year.

Peter Lim, the owner of the Spanish club, was adamant that Lee must stay, but the South Korean didn’t get many chances for appearance. So, Lee requested for a transfer last summer, but the club rejected it as Lee was “too important a player for the future of Valencia.” But he continued to be sidelined in the start-ups, prompting yet another speculation for his move to a different club.

Recently, the Spanish club sacked Albert Celades for poor performance and put Voro Gonzalez at the helm, but Lee didn’t get the chance to play in the last two matches under the new manager.

Lee’s contract to Valencia expires in 2022. If any team proposes more than 80 million euros (108 billion won), the Korean midfielder could move to different clubs within the term, but such a prospect is quite murky for now. If a prospective club and Valencia fail to reach an agreement in numbers, Lee will likely turn to other options including lease before moving to a new team.


Seung-Kun Lee why@donga.com